Flinders Island

[Orion]

Is it worth a look?
How is the walking?
Camping?

Thinking about it but the airline ticket is kind of pricey.

[horsecat]

Not a lot over there being mostly farmland, although there are a few walks on offer, but nothing extended to my knowledge with Mt Strzelecki being the highlight. There are a couple of Great Short Walks; Castle Rock and Trousers Point which are just south of Whitemark. To the north the bays near Killiecrankie are good for a wander, the area around Palana is also nice with views out to the Sister Islands. North East River is great for fishing. As for camping I have always stayed at the little tourist park near the airport. They used to hire out an old EB Falcon which was fun bombing around the island in, but I have heard it was retired after my last trip a few years back. All up you could easily see the whole island in a weekend. There are virtually no facilities, just a small store, a servo and two pubs, so take everything you need with you. The last time I was there the island ran out of bread completely for two days due to bad weather preventing in and outbound flights. And yep, the flights are pricy (and no fun at all when the weather cuts up)

[sthughes]

Flinders is great if you like beaches the sea, crap if you want alpine areas with water and mud! Yep, Mt Strzelecki is the highlight for bushwalkers, but there is also Pillingers Peak, Mt. Killiecrankie etc, and heaps of deserted beaches. Free camping all over the place - Trousers Point, Yellow Beach, Sawyers Bay, Allports Beach to name a few nice spots.

[Tas Tom]

Flinders is great if you like beaches the sea, crap if you want alpine areas with water and mud! Yep, Mt Strzelecki is the highlight for bushwalkers, but there is also Pillingers Peak, Mt. Killiecrankie etc, and heaps of deserted beaches. Free camping all over the place - Trousers Point, Yellow Beach, Sawyers Bay, Allports Beach to name a few nice spots.

This is pretty much 100% right IMO.

My wife and I spent the second week of the Easter holiday this year on Flinders. First visit and really enjoyed it. Yes expensive to get there (and expensive when you are over there) but the trade off for us was there was nobody much around. We didn't worry too much about the cost-rented a beach house for the week at Palana and hired a car over there. Camping options are there but might be a bit restrictive without a vehicle?

We would have spent at least half of each day walking- mainly west coast beaches and rock scrambles along the coast- and the only time we saw anybody at all was two ladies with their dog near the bottom of Strzelecki. The rest of the time we had it all to ourselves........

[Wollemi]

Free camping all over the place - Trousers Point, Yellow Beach, Sawyers Bay, Allports Beach to name a few nice spots.

Although it is true there is no camping fee, you are expected to purchase entry into Strzelecki NP. The last time I kayaked across Bass Strait, the (informal) leader bought one of those 8-week $30 permits. We thought of Deal Island only then.

Flinders Island is wonderful in all regards. You must start climbing Strzelecki prior to 11am or risk no views being had due to being clouded-in.

Orion - you comment on the price of air tickets. You can fly from Bridport (if you are on mainland Tasmania) to the village of Lady Barron, rather than Essendon or Launceston to Whitemark (the largest village on Flinders Island).
You can also ride a barge from Bridport to Lady Barron village as a passenger - but it may leave at obscure times due to the tides of the shallow Brid River and strength of the flow through Franklin Sound (the waterway separating Flinders Island from Cape Barren Island).

[north-north-west]

You can also ride a barge from Bridport to Lady Barron village as a passenger - but it may leave at obscure times due to the tides of the shallow Brid River and strength of the flow through Franklin Sound (the waterway separating Flinders Island from Cape Barren Island).

Ah, now that sounds like fun. Fly one way, barge the other.

[Orion]

Thanks for the responses. There are of course plenty of nice beaches in Tasmania. But Flinders sounds like it's worth a visit.

[You can fly from Bridport (if you are on mainland Tasmania) to the village of Lady Barron, rather than Essendon or Launceston to Whitemark (the largest village on Flinders Island).
You can also ride a barge from Bridport to Lady Barron village as a passenger - but it may leave at obscure times due to the tides of the shallow Brid River and strength of the flow through Franklin Sound (the waterway separating Flinders Island from Cape Barren Island).

It's not easy getting information about this. The booking page on the airline website seems to be perpetually broken. And the barge, does it only run weekly?

[biggbird]

Definitely worth a visit! If you've been to the east coast and enjoyed that, then you would enjoy Flinders IMO. People are all lovely too, and there's plenty of stuff to do if you're keen. Can't wait to get back there at some stage.

[Overlandman]

Sharp Airlines on occasion has promo flights at a good price, leaving from Launceston.
Click on Become a Sharp Flyer & they will send you emails with the special fares.

http://sharpairlines.com/

I have spent a few weeks on Flinders & surrounding islands & loved every minute, top spot.

Regards Overlandman

[Wollemi]

Thanks for the responses. There are of course plenty of nice beaches in Tasmania. But Flinders sounds like it's worth a visit.

[You can fly from Bridport (if you are on mainland Tasmania) to the village of Lady Barron, rather than Essendon or Launceston to Whitemark (the largest village on Flinders Island).
You can also ride a barge from Bridport to Lady Barron village as a passenger - but it may leave at obscure times due to the tides of the shallow Brid River and strength of the flow through Franklin Sound (the waterway separating Flinders Island from Cape Barren Island).

It's not easy getting information about this. The booking page on the airline website seems to be perpetually broken. And the barge, does it only run weekly?

I don't see a booking page at all for Flinders Island Aviation. There is a phone number and easy to use contact page. The business is up for sale.
http://www.flindersislandaviation.com/index.php

The barge runs about once per week, strictly Bridport - Lady Barron for passengers. It's income is derived from servicing stock to several Bass Strait Islands, fuel to Flinders and Cape Barren Islands, as well as building materials. These things don't need to run to a timetable, nor can they due to the previously mentioned tides of the Brid River - and they still got it wrong - the Matthew Flinders III went up on sand while I was on board. All part of the adventure $120 Bridport - Lady Barron return, PP
http://furneauxfreight.com.au/

[msw]

You may have already been there by now but I've found the best trips there are either bike touring or sea kayak touring so you can cover the distances more quickly to get around Flinders. It isn't cheap to get there but when you are there it is very friendly and a lovely group of islands. Here's a link to the trip report my dad wrote about our bike tour.

http://ajwatton.customer.netspace.net.a ... sland.html

[Orion]

Thanks for the information, you guys, I appreciate it. Flinders looks like a very nice place.

At the moment we're leaning away from a visit there, just a question of how to spend our limited time. Tasmania has a lot to offer.

[warramungas]

Wow. Really late reply here but going to throw my 2 cents in. I really think you're underestimating flinders island as far as bushwalking is concerned but it depends what you're after.
I grew up there and going bush was what I did. No gaming machines back then. I grew up under the Strzelecki mountains and for fun, on a weekend, I'd pack some lunch and duck up the razorback and then come back down a different way. Usually just daytrips but that was the benefit of being a teenager with inexhaustible energy. However, if you had some bushcraft skills, I.e. not prone to getting lost as people definitely have (the old mans been involved with the odd search party looking for lost tourists), you could explore for a week or more. Bush can be thick but if you circled the rock faces or followed creeks the going wasn't too bad. Usually plenty of fresh (brown tea tree stained) water except in the hottest summer weather. Still there, just harder to find.
My old man has just circumnavigated the island and I hope to do the same inside the next 12 months. Took him 10 days and he's nearly 60 but very fit. However he said he didn't explore every nook and cranny.
Sharp airlines or the ferry will get you there and if you're keen there are a multitude of other bushwalks to do. But when I say bush I mean bush, scrub, tea tree tracks etc.
Walkers hill has some 'forest' on the side about halfway up with massive gums and tree ferns that somehow got spared by the bushfires that went through about 7 years ago. That's nice through there. There's some big stony mountains (nowhere near as big or pretty as Strezlecki) to the south of Walkers lookout that you could have some fun climbing but not much water there. At least not the last time I was there.
The patriarchs are also a beautiful bushwalking and camping spot. Just ask when you get there. Everyone knows the place.
The beauty is there are big hills and climbs all over the island which are pretty much all open game and if the beach has a footprint on it it's too crowded so you move to another one. Don't worry about degrading the bush (so long as you're not hacking away with a machete or destroying sand dunes) as with most places off the beaten tracks you'll probably be the first and last person through there for 10+ years. Not a lot of hikers visit.
Fishing is sublime. Easy off the lady Barron wharf. An hour or so before high tide for trevally with some sandworm or fresh yabbies caught at low tide though frozen squid will do at a pinch. Fish in the sheltered side of the big concrete wharf for trevally or the odd big leatherjacket. Walk away after the tide turns. You can catch squid at the wharf as well just about anytime (best after dark) however they can be patchy. Whitemark wharf is fairly poor for anything but squid but you might get lucky. Go near high tide or there's no water. For shore fishing you can always catch fish but you still need to know where to go.
Supplies are fine (though pricey) for most staples and the bakery, as long as it's open, has never run out of bread. Supermarket might as it sells mainland stuff. Considering most supplies are shipped over on a barge or plane you could expect it to be a little more expensive.
Do not expect to find a replacement seal for your gas stove or any other specialty item as there's not a lot of call for hiking items on the island so go well equipped. Also if you want a mobile phone only Telstra will work and don't expect it to work down in a creek bed in the mountains.
And if you're polite and well mannered you'll find no end of help and advice on where to go and what to see and lots of doors will open for you. Rub people the wrong way and we will just say that its a very small community that all talk to each other.
I will add that I don't live there any more but I still visit my parents regularly. Sure do miss it though.

[Mel123]

Hi there - sounds like some good walking - assume a topo would be useful. Are they sold on the island? We’re intetested in off track multi day walking. Any comments welcome. Thanks.

[ofuros]

Resources will be limited on the island...buy some Topo's before you go.
Digi & paper map available here...or use your phone / dedicated GPS.
https://www.tasmap.tas.gov.au/do/category/25000DIG

Highlights...lots of coastal walking with a few mountain summits thrown in.
The West coast bears the brunt of the Roaring 40's while the East coast is on the calmer Leeward shore.
https://visitflindersisland.com.au/plan/stay/camping/

Guide books...tag their walks together for a multi day walk or study the topo's
& make up your own itinerary.
.
Walks of Flinders Island
Walking guide to Flinders island & Cape Barron Island

It's on my to-do list too...enjoy your bushwalk, Mel123.